


Progeny of Slytherin

by SLIMJimmyNastics



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-09
Updated: 2019-06-17
Packaged: 2020-04-23 14:08:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19152604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SLIMJimmyNastics/pseuds/SLIMJimmyNastics
Summary: Hidden away from a world that would've hated him, Theodore Riddle had but remnants from his past; bare pieces that would teach him his own wretched story. Clinging onto the vestige of his innocence, he tries so hard not to succumb to the Dark Lord's influence... but a boy can never run from his own father. Gets darker. OC.





	1. Revelation

**Author's Note:**

> So before you get into this story, just know that I’ve already posted this story on FFN and was told that it would be a good idea to cross post. I’m fairly new here and haven’t used this site as much compared to FFN, but hopefully I’ll be as active for both sites.  
> I will be able to post and edit each chapter once a week so keep that in mind and I hope you enjoy. If you want to just jump in the story however, my name is the same on FFN. Enjoy.

Theodore looked out the window sullenly, listening to the sounds of pattering rain and children his age running through the hallways of the orphanage. He found himself staring through that exact window everyday now, peering at the various number of visitors and the people passing by, not giving a sideways glance at the bleak building. He often thought what it would be like to walk freely pass a home for parentless children and not bat an eye towards them.

Of course, he'd never know. He had been stuck in this place all his life, according to Madam Geoffrey. He was left in a crummy basket with nothing but a crummy blanket and a single note. There was nobody in sight — obviously — but he guessed that was usual here. Children dropped off like unwanted packages. Seemed quite barbaric to him. The note was the only thing that was from his past, the key to who he was. He would strain his eyes at the piece of paper, determined for something to happen, but no. He was still there. He was still motherless. What could he expect from a simple letter which revealed his name and his name only?

Theodore was not one to feel conflict within himself. No other ten year old felt that way. Even with his current status of being an orphan, it didn't faze him. The fact that his parents were dead in an unmarked grave somewhere didn't make him feel that sad… and that's what shocked him. The other children cried regularly in their sleep for their mothers, sobbing quietly to themselves under the sheets. The sympathy was there, but empathy? That's what he lacked.

Nights were not usually sleepless, but he would stay awake sometimes — for somebody else, of course. He had made a single friend who he had been quite attached to all these years: Louise Free. She came some time after Theodore, when he was around four years old. He remembered the day perfectly. He walked past the Madam's office and peered through the gap, seeing a little girl of the same age facing straight to the floor, her wild black curls masking some of her face. She had been alone for her first week until Theodore decided to take her under his wing. Ever since, the two had been inseparable, never to be alone again.

Theodore realised that he had zoned out for a while as the sky's hue darkened a bit. He faced away from the window and left his small room. Different aged children ran past him, chattering away about their new toys and whatnots. He walked in the opposite direction to seek his best friend when he found himself latching onto the Madam's office door, unable to mind his own business. He pressed his ear, listening to the conversation that was behind…

"I must say, Professor, it is quite the surprise to see anyone here for him." Madam's fair but stern voice was easy to recognise.

"That's true. Nobody has bothered to pick him up; not a relative, not even someone who was choosing." Sister Gretchen. She was a foul woman who kissed up to the Madam, even though it was obvious that she hated the children.

"Then it should be all the more better that I speak with the boy in person, don't you agree?" Now this voice was strange. It was definitely a man, yet he had a soft tone to his voice. Almost soothing. Theodore was now fully invested.

"I don't see any reason not to. I guess it would be good for him. He never had anything similar to family. Except for his friend," said Madam Geoffrey.

"Then that would be just splendid! I wouldn't mind waiting here."

Theodore was perplexed by what he was listening to. Somebody, a boy to be specific, was going to speak with this stranger? But not to be adopted by him? He didn't sound like he wanted to take a son onboard.

Theodore wanted to hear more of it but tensed up quickly at the sensation of his ears being tugged by cold hands. He slapped them away and spun around to be facing his best friend, who had a goofy smile upon her face.

"Oh my gosh, Theo! You always wiggle when I do that! Your face was too funny!" Louise snickered with a hand masking her mouth.

"I told you not to stop doing that! Besides, you almost blew my cover, I was doing something important."

"Like spying on the Madam? You don't want to give Gretchen another excuse to lock you in the cellar right? You've been there way too many times before." She blew a curly lock that had rolled onto her right eye but it fell back on it again.

Theodore pulled her over to the hallway corner and checked to see if anyone was listening. He then closed in and whispered, "I've heard that somebody is here for one of us."

Louise perked up. "Eh, really? Do you think they're here for me?"

"No. He said he was looking for a boy." She sulked and pouted at her friends bluntness. "They said that the boy had no family to visit — and that he only had one friend."

Louise bit her lip for a moment to ponder on who this lucky person could be. She thought even longer until she harshly poked Theodore's shoulder. "Hey, that could be you! Maybe he's here for you!"

"Are you saying that I have no friends?"

"Correction: you have one friend," she replied as she pointed to herself. There was a possibility. Minuscule at the most.

"I don't know. I've never been considered for adoption back then. Why now?"

She punched the same shoulder lightly while giving him a large grin. "Maybe it's fate that’s given you a chance. I mean, you could get adopted and leave this place! Isn't that what you want?"

"But what about you?" Theodore saw her eye twitch ever so slightly, but she kept the smile strong on her face. He couldn't imagine a world without Louise in it. She was the only person that he liked, the second person being Madam Geoffrey. Leaving her behind was something that he never thought of.

"I'll be fine, Theo,” said Louise proudly, lifting her chin in the air. “You don't have to worry about me. I'm the toughest girl you know, remember? Nobody's hurting me."

That was what he liked about her. She used to be so quiet and timid when they first met, but now she was headstrong, loud and always there when he needed her. She made living in this place bearable.

Unfortunately, there were others who weren't as kind as Louise in the orphanage. Theodore had many confrontations and incidents with the other older children, whether it be teasing him about being parentless (because that made sense) or downright torture with dead animals and defecation on the playground. Those children brought out the worst in Theodore. He just want them to feel his pain, writhe in suffering and anguish on the spot.

And oddly enough, it happened. If he had gotten enraged but managed to focus hard enough, the other children would scream and roll on the floor, crying. He didn't know how he did it, but he just did. He didn't need to touch them. Just thinking hard enough would send them over the edge. This was quite sadistic from anybody else's perspective but from Theodore's? It was him trying to survive. And he liked that. But of course, that wasn’t all that was different about him compared to the other —

"Um, Theodore?"

"Yeah," he replied, snapping back to reality.

Louise fiddle with her fingers and continued quietly, "If you do go… would you forget me?"

He scoffed at the idea. "You're being ridiculous."

Her face beamed up and glowed. A sigh of relief was released and the two walked through the corridors and into the dining hall, happy that they were both the most important person in each other's lives.

During dinner…

Theodore raised an eyebrow at the sight of Louise chomping on her chips and fish with her mouth wide open. Theodore knew that being ladylike was not one of her traits. In fact, he didn't know if she would ever close her mouth when she would chew. On his own plate, the chips were slightly stale but edible, and the battered fish had its bread skin peeled off. He preferred it like that. Louise called him a weirdo for it. He ate his food quietly among the talkative children when he caught sight of the Madam. She was talking with Gretchen and a few other adults about something. He downed his apple juice while he still gazed at the group. He noticed Louise swiping a few chips off his plate, but that was normal.

As soon as he placed the cup down on the table, he turned to his friend. "Do you think —?"

"Theodore Riddle!"

He turned his head back to the Madam, who called his name out for everyone to hear. Louise looked confused as her mouth was stuffed with chips. He slowly got up from his seat and made his way to her while stares came from every corner. A few whispers here and there, but he couldn't hear what they had to say. Madam Geoffrey opened the door behind her and led the way for Theodore to follow. His legs were a quite skinny for his age and were also long, but they suited him well. He had quite the sharp, pale face with interesting features as well. Although none of the other girls, Louise included, would dare to admit it, Theodore was actually very good-looking, even for his age. His vivid hazel eyes and thick eyebrows somehow dazzled most of the girls, but they would never say that to his face or to each other. His cheeks were a bit thin but other than that, he looked as normal as a ten year old boy could be.

They paced through the empty hallways until they stopped at his room door. Madam didn't face him but the door only. A look of worry was on her face.

"Madam? Is everything okay?"

She realised that the boy had asked a question and turned to him quickly. "Yes, Theodore. I-I'm fine. Well, don't waste time, get in there!"

Theodore obeyed as he opened the door and walked in slowly. The room was darker than when he left, but the street lamp that was near his window lit the room well enough. He fixed his eyes on his chair near his desk for a man was sitting there, staring outside the window.

"Wonderful view, don't you think? Although I would say, being a bit higher up could enhance the scenery, no?" He twisted on the chair to look at Theodore, displaying his entire face to him. The first thing that he had noticed was the silvery long beard that flowed onto his lap. His crooked nose held a pair of half-moon glasses which covered the bright blue eyes that were full of life, despite the obvious age of the man. His clothes looked quite odd with the amount of frills on his coat but it wasn't alarming. Theodore had seen worse.

Underneath, he had a simple purple suit with a black waistcoat and a pocket watch resting just near the middle of his beard. This strange man was both odd and wonderful at the same time. Why was that? Theodore wasted no time.

"Who are you? Did you come for me?"

The man smiled and answered back, "To answer your first question, my name is Professor Albus Dumbledore. And yes. I did come for you."

Theodore sat on his bed before carrying on the conversation. "Are you going to adopt me?"

"I wouldn't say adopt. More like… induct you, if you will. There is a rather unique place for people like you."

Theodore boy scoffed. "Like me? In case you hadn't noticed, I am in that place."

"You are, yet you are not." Dumbledore's cryptic response puzzled Theodore. What was he on about? "What I meant was that for people who have something about them which makes them… special."

"Special as in…?"

"Special as in wanting something to happen so desperately, only for it to come true. Something that you've longed for suddenly appears or changes. Have you ever seen anything like that before?"

"I… no."

Dumbledore straightened his back to lift himself higher on the chair and leaned in close. "It's all right, Theodore. I, too, am special," he whispered.

…

"Prove it."

Theodore could see slight hesitation in Dumbledore's eyes with a hint of… rue(?) before they became joyful again. He looked over across the room until he saw the image of a woman and her child hanging above the doorway. He pointed towards it which motioned Theodore to face it. Theodore couldn't see it at first but after a few tries, he did.

The woman was swinging her child round and round as they laughed together playfully. But that wasn't right. That was a picture. A painting. Not one of those animated screens like the television. This was.. this was amazing. Theodore walked over and looked up to the image. The occupants both waved to which he waved back, still in shock. He turned to Dumbledore once again.

"How did you do that?"

"Magic, Theodore. You could do it too, if you practise and refined your gifts."

"I could do that," he whispered to himself in awe. This was overwhelming. He couldn't wait to tell Louise!

"And so much more, dear child! I sense within you great aptitude and power. It comes natural to you, after all. You are capable of great things! Great, great things!"

"But where will I learn? Would you teach me?" Theodore asked eagerly. He wasn't skeptical about the concept of magic as he knew that something just had to be different about him. He just didn't know what.

Dumbledore chuckled at Theodore’s enthusiasm. He cleaned his glasses with a cloth in his pocket while answering the desperate boy. "Not me specifically. There is a school for children like you. Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. And I'm the headmaster of said school. You'll learn the ways of magic extensively until you are trained and ready to go about through your life after your time at Hogwarts is over."

'Life after school. I never gave it that much thought…'

"Professor, how do you know that you're right? That I am a wizard. You didn't make a mistake?"

Dumbledore wagged his finger while closing his eyes, "Absolutely not! I know for a fact that you are a wizard and that you will go to the finest school for the great talent that lies inside you!" The boisterous personality of the elderly man made Theodore crack a small smile, something that only Louise had accomplished. If he was right, if he was really a wizard, then that meant he could use magic to leave the orphanage with Louise and find someplace to stay forever. This was too perfect.

"Okay, okay, okay, a few more questions! Is this place only for wizards? Is it far? How big is it? Did you go there? How many others are there?"

Dumbledore tackled each one with absolute ease. "And for witches. Quite. Very big. Yes, and around four hundred students, give or a take a few."

Theodore was coloured impressed. The old man seemed surreal, but wasn't he though? He had made a painting come to life and he was the headmaster of a magical school. There was no telling what he was capable of. Theodore had thought that he had cleared out all of his questions until two more came into mind.

"Just two more. Can I tell my friend about this? That I'm a wizard?"

"I'm afraid not. As far as I know, you are the only one with magical descent in this building. Everybody else here are not like us. They are what we call 'Muggles'. Non-magical folk. Makes it easier for everyone if they didn't know about us."

Theodore was upset that he couldn't tell her. He told her everything. Secrets were never kept between them. He held in his disappointment as he asked the second question. "Were my parents Muggles, then? Or were they like me?"

…

"They were magical, yes."

Theodore was hoping for a more thorough answer but instead left it. His parents were probably just as average as he thought they were before today. But to leave him in a Muggle orphanage — it was strange to him. Surely, wizards and witches could be orphans as well.

His thoughts were interrupted as Dumbledore handed a letter over to him. Theodore took it and opened it up while Dumbledore stood up and fixed his flowing beard. It made him look taller, oddly enough.

"Inside there is a list for the school equipment that you'll need for the first year. I will be back soon so that we can go together. Then, you could finally see the world of magic before your eyes. I trust that you are still up for it?"

Theodore nodded his head eagerly while reading the list off a folded piece of parchment. He carried on reading until he remembered one more thing.

"Wait." Dumbledore halted at the door and turned to Theodore. "There’s this one other thing that I can do… I can speak to snakes. Understand them. They find me and… tell me things like they’re people. Do they speak to you too?"

Dumbledore was frozen. He clutched the doorknob tight in his palm. His eyes seemed quite… dead. The liveliness that he exhibited before vanished. Silence wrapped around his tongue until he responded quietly, "No…"

And like that, Theodore was alone in his room. He gripped the letter, being careful not to tear it apart. He felt as if a piece of him had been restored. Only a piece of him. There was much to find out and to uncover. Dumbledore didn't say who his parents were. Were they heroes; evil, or simply, were they just not special? Questions needed to be answered. He was determined to know who he really was. And nothing was going to stop him.

He walked over to his cupboard and opened up a drawer from within. He pulled it out and inside were a few possessions that he had kept over the years of being in Stuggle's Orphanage for Boys and Girls. A pearl from Gretchen's room that he had taken when he was five, a toy figurine from one of the adults that worked in the orphanage, a silver chain that he and Louise found in the playground bushes, and the very note that had been with him since he was found on the doorstep of the orphanage. He placed the Hogwarts letter aside and picked up the older note in his hand and unfolded it slowly. He read the words that he recited for over seven years in his head — those special words that he thought about day and night.

His name is Theodore Silas Riddle

The words stared back at him, burning into his eyes until a knock on the door broke him out of the trance. Theodore placed it back inside and closed everything before opening the door. Louise was stood in front of him with her hands behind her back. She invited herself in and plopped onto the bed, acting as if Theodore was the visitor. He just rolled his eyes as he closed the door and sat on the chair near the desk.

"So?"

"So."

"What did you guys talk about?"

He scratched his arm as he remembered what Dumbledore had said. "We… talked about me going to a different school."

"Really? What's it called?"

"Um, it's called... Hogwarts."

Louise raised an eyebrow. "Hogwarts? That almost sounds made up… I've never heard of that school before."

"That's because it's really far away. Like in Scotland or something."

Louise's demeanour suddenly changed as she realised what it meant if the school was far away. She looked down on her lap as thick locks of hair fell onto her face. Theodore felt terrible that he was lying to her, but what was he supposed to say? She was a Muggle. Not a witch. He didn't want to ruin his chance of learning magic because he told her; it’d be for nothing. The least he could do, however, was console her.

He placed himself next to her left and poked a finger in her side. Louise squirmed but did not laugh. Theodore poked her again and again until she cackled as she fought him off. She was too easy.

"Stop it, I'm supposed to be sad!"

"Don't be. I'm not leaving forever. I'll come back in the holidays. I'll even bring you a present."

Her sparkling emerald eyes gazed right into his hazel ones. "You mean that?"

Theodore nodded. Louise kicked her feet together to show that she was touched. Both of them had weird ways of showing affection, but they've been together for so long that they were used to it. The two were both silent among each other before Louise reached to behind her neck. She loosened her necklace and handed it to Theodore who instantly refused.

"Take it! Stop being boring and take it."

"But that's your dad's! It's the last thing you have of him. You said it helped remind you of him all the time."

"Well, now it's going to help remind you of me, so that you won't forget."

He rolled his eyes once more. Didn't he get the message through the first time? "I won't forget you, geez. With the amount of times you tell me, I definitely won't."

Louise quickly locked her arm with his as she placed her head on his shoulder — Theodore didn't attempt to brush her off. If it were the other way around, it wouldn't have been the same but other than that, he was moved by her gesture —

"Time for bed! Get your little behinds in your beds, now!" Gretchen screeched.

Louise jumped a bit, as did Theodore, and skipped to the door. She gave him a small wave before closing the door behind her. Theodore ran to his cupboard and quickly changed into his pyjamas. He bounded straight underneath his sheets as the door swung open the split second his head hit the pillow. He closed his eyes, expecting Gretchen to scream for seeing him out of his bed, but she was mute.

…

The door slammed shut, and Theodore looked over his shoulder to check if she had left the room truly. She had caught him using that trick many times. No, this time he was truly alone in his room. He sunk his head deep into his pillow and brought his hand to his face upon seeing a golden glow shine into his eye. Louise's necklace was still in his hand. It was a beautiful piece of jewellery; a circular golden ring with a diamond heart inside. There were words etched onto the ring but seemed too small to read in the darkness.

Theodore stuffed it underneath his pillow and forced himself to go sleep, rewinding the day from when he first woke up to when he slept. This was a day like no other. He was happy, almost jubilant that he had known what he was, completely unaware of how much weight was held in his last name, that had been tainted, defiled and ruined by his own blood…

 

 

**I've stepped into the sacred territory that is known as the Harry Potter Fanfiction. I actually found this years ago from when I was twelve and obsessed with Harry Potter. I think I need to read them all again to refresh my memory. It was much shorter but seemed good enough to develop into a story. This was all edited at like 4 in the morning so there could be a few mistakes here and there. Love it or hate it, this one is going full speed ahead, please leave a review or check my other story, thanks. Later.**

**P.S. Some of the events within the original story has been altered to that mine could fit in, so if anybody seems different then just know it was intended.**


	2. An Outing to Diagon Alley

Theodore scanned the Hogwarts letter every single night, reciting those words which lodged themselves into his brain. Dear Mr Riddle… His old habit of staring tediously outside the window had been replaced by one single piece of paper. It honestly looked ancient. He would analyse the elegant handwriting that flowed across the letter, the bizarre equipment list for his first year and the name that was written at the bottom on the back of the letter: Minerva McGonagall. All of it seemed wondrous to Theodore, even though it had only been a few words. Yet it killed him inside to not share it with anyone.

The next four days had been amazing, yet painful for Theodore. The revelation of his heritage had brought his inner ego to new heights as he practically strutted around the orphanage as if he owned it. The other children couldn't make of what caused him to act like this. The rumour of him being adopted soon flooded around, but as usual, nobody would talk to him about it. They would see him eat with his only friend, acting smug and almost in their faces. For some, it wasn't anything special seeing Theodore act pretentious but for others, it infuriated them. To see the odd child in the orphanage capturing the chance of leaving before them had filled them with jealousy to the absolute brim. But they wouldn't show it. Not at all. It was better to be subtle about it, talk about him behind his back but never to him. They were petty in that way.

He sat alone in the playground corner while he observed the entirety of the orphanage to draw in every detail before he would leave. He would remember the wonky fence that slightly leaned towards the yard next door. He would remember the small hole beneath the defective grey shed that housed a family of rats that would occasionally peek out during the night. The swings, the sandpit, the corroded bell that hung above the backdoor. All these things that he had crossed within his time here would only be a frequent memory.

The stone in his hand was pressed against his skin and forced it to redden. Theodore had been trying for the last five minutes to make the stone disappear but it seemingly failed. Forcing magic was harder than he had expected. He could make other children feel intense pain but couldn't make a simple rock vanish from his hand? Pathetic.

He gritted his teeth and strained his eyes, trying to ooze any magic out. Nothing. He flung it away in frustration and brought his knees to his chest. Madam Geoffrey had let a delusional old man talk to him about nonsense for no apparent reason. This was by far the biggest disappointment that he had encountered in his life so far. And of course, trouble would always stick onto him in so many more ways than one. Just like now.

"Oi, pisshead! Look at me!"

Theodore lifted his head in annoyance at the sight of the oldest kid in the orphanage, Simeon Ferning, a burly boy who looked too old for his age. Even though he was the ripe age of fifteen, his distinct moustache and sideburns would suggest differently. His muscles were swollen compared to Theodore's, and his legs pressed against his tight jeans. The beastly appearance intimidated every child in the building, except for Louise and Theodore. Simeon had targeted the two for years and years, grabbing any opportunity to taint their morale but failed at every attempt. That didn't mean he'd stop trying.

"Hey, you twat! I'm talking to you!"

"What do you want?" Theodore replied irritably.

"You leaving this place? ‘Cause that's what I heard. That some guy came for you. That true?"

"Maybe you should mind your own business, Simeon. Sticking your ugly face where it doesn’t belong is sort of rude."

Simeon's face turned red instantly. "Where are your fucking manners? Do you want me to break those twigs you call arms again? ‘Cause you're going in the right direction!”

Theodore stood up and proceeded to walk away and ignore Simeon's threats. The less he talked to other people, the quicker the time would pass until he'd be at Hogwarts — Theodore was sent crashing down onto the concrete, scraping his palms harshly as he tried to break his fall. Several children peered at the commotion but did not utter a word out of fear of provoking Simeon.

The bully stood over Theodore in glee — his simple mind was always amused by the actions of hurting the younger kids, especially Theodore. "I don't know how many times I have to smash it into your tiny skull, you little freak. You think you’re special because the Madam says so? Nah, you’re just a skinny little twat and nothing else!"

The surrounding children had made a circle around the other two, observing at every angle. Theodore rubbed his wounded palms on his shirt while holding back the urge to cry himself — "Leave me alone," he mumbled, eyes barely able to contain them.

Simeon arched over him to taunt the boy even further. "What d’you say, freak? Leave you alone? Come on, speak up!"

"Leave me alone," Theodore repeated at the same volume. He couldn't see Simeon do anything as his face was towards the floor, and his hair had flopped over his eyes.

"You little boys don't know when to shut up. You think just because your mum dropped you here like rubbish that you're better than me?"

Theodore didn't respond. Simeon huffed.

"If you're not going to talk, then I'll ask your stupid girlfriend. Maybe she won't act as much of a bitch as you are now."

Simeon turned around and stomped away with the intention of finding Louise. Theodore pressed his knuckles against the ground until they turned red. His hands were already sore, so why did it matter if the pain worsened? The anger was coming back to him. The complete loathe for Simeon and all the other children who were too cowardly to do anything, the hatred of Simeon disrespecting his mother and even worse, Louise. Yes, all of it seeped into his head as he pinned his eyes on Simeon's back, imagining blistering-hot knives driving across his body, sending him into a suffering frenzy. And just like always…

Simeon screamed when he felt it. What the hell was happening to him, why was his skin being seared by supposedly nothing? The other children scurried backwards at the sudden shrieking. He had dropped onto the ground and was twisting, convulsing in the most violent of ways. His body was repeatedly being stabbed by knives while waves of intense heat scorched his body. The boy's sanity was becoming depleted heavily every passing second.

Theodore heard Simeon's screams as they felt like daggers in his ears. But he loved it. The sounds of his suffering was intoxicating; it filled him up completely. This boy who had tormented him for so many years, this… Muggle. Theodore was taken aback by his previous thought. Why did that name suddenly pop up in his mind? The word 'Muggle' was always weird to him, and he hadn’t referred to anybody else as such since the day he heard it. But in a fit of anger, he used the term as if it were a slur.

As he contemplated on the ground, Gretchen waddled onto the scene with her piglike skin glistening with a disgusting amount of sweat. She squealed at the barricade of children to move aside as she tended to Simeon. Simeon had stopped screaming, but tears were welled up in his eyes as he only managed to whimper at Gretchen's questions.

"Oh you poor boy, what happened?! W-who did this to you?!" She immediately turned to the closest child, who decided that it was a good idea to lean into the two on the ground. "You! You little brat! Who did this to him? Was it you?! Because if it was, you'll go two weeks without any food!"

"I-It wasn't me, Sister Gretchen, I s-swear! I didn't do it, I-I p-promise!"

Gretchen's devil eyes darted across the crowd as she looked for the next witness. "Who did this… WHO DID THIS?! IF I FOUND OUT THAT ANY OF YOU ARE HIDING THIS PERSON, I'LL MAKE IT MY DUTY TO LOCK YOU INSIDE THE CELLAR, FOR THE NEXT MONTH!"

Nobody spoke up. They didn't know, of course. Simeon started to scream like a madman after bullying Theodore, so there was no way that any of them could do this to him. Even Tristan Duckle, the other broad-shouldered bully in the orphanage, would not consider picking a fight with him. He was too much of an animal.

Theodore heard every word from Gretchen. She would never know that he was the cause for his pain, but she could definitely blame him if nobody confessed. He quickly got on his feet, wiping his hair with his bloodied hands as well as smearing them even more on his shirt. The filthy woman would take one look at him and suspect him of everything —

"Riddle! Come here, now!"

His heart wrenched. There was no way. "I didn't do that to him, he has to be lying," he called out from the other end.

"You wretched boy! You have the cheek to lie to me, when you’re covered in blood!" He looked down and sure enough, his own blood had sullied his shirt.

Gretchen left Simeon's side and paced over to Theodore, grabbing him by the wrist before dragging him into the building. Her grip was far too strong for the likes of a ten year old to escape from. He dug his heels into the floor, but his slim legs gave way every single time. She hauled him through the door leading to the back room while ignoring his attempts of clawing at her hand. Theodore kicked and punched, but she only squeezed tighter.

Gretchen trudged through the hallways and made her way to one of the rooms near the front of the building. She pushed through the door and released her painful ape hand on Theodore. He caressed his wrist while he still tried to firm the burns from his palms.

"Gretchen, what is it this time?" Madam asked, feeling quite bothered at Gretchen's intrusion. One glance at Theodore's blood-ridden shirt and her face fell instantly. "Gretchen, what — what have you done to this boy?!"

"I didn't do anything, Madam! Riddle was singlehandedly attacking the other children in the playground, leaving them hurt on the ground!" she confessed proudly.

"Well, I can't imagine how they look like compared to this! His hands are bleeding for Pete's sake!"

"But Madam… Simeon was on the ground crying! He could barely speak!" Gretchen spoke, now confused. Theodore looked down to his feet as he had to endure the 'lies' that were being told. He didn't absolutely, wilfully intend to cause him pain. The idiot spoke ill of his mother and friend. He had gotten what was coming to him.

"Forgive me for intruding, but is it okay if I stay with Theodore alone?" Theodore's eyes led him to the familiar voice as Dumbledore sat comfortably on the chair opposite the Madam's. A significant part of him was joyful to see the old man here once again, but another was angry that he did not come sooner. This wouldn't have happened if he did.

"Professor, we can't ignore this! I'm sorry, but until this situation is solved, Theodore stays with me!"

"I'm only asking for the boy's company. After all, I was supposed to take him outside today. Remember?" Dumbledore responded with a lifted eyebrow.

_'Outside? Outside where?'_

The Madam hesitated to make a decision. She looked at Dumbledore who looked completely unfazed. She turned to Gretchen, her face still smothered with sweat. Her eyes then lowered to Theodore's small face, whose eyes irked her to choose the situation that would save him from Gretchen's wrath.

She sighed heavily and walked towards the door, motioning Gretchen to follow her. Her disappointment went unseen by Theodore, but he knew it was all over her disgusting abomination of a face. The door was shut and the two wizards were alone again in the larger office.

"Your hands, let me see them," ordered Dumbledore calmly. Theodore stuck his palms out to the old man. He watched Dumbledore reaching into his coat and pulling out something that Theodore thought to be extraordinary. A wand, almost as long as his forearm, twirled in Dumbledore's thin fingers as it pointed at Theodore's hands. "Vulnera Sanentur."

The dirtied cuts gradually began to disappear as new skin stretched across Theodore’s palms, and the rich red tone on his hands faded back into his usual pale. A few seconds passed before all the wounds vanished, not leaving a single trace of any injury, not even a little scar. Theodore was truly enthralled. He squeezed his hands to make sure that it wasn't an illusion; no pain was present. Any doubts Theodore had about magic was expelled from his being. He believed one hundred percent.

"I'm sorry to hear about what happened to you today. You endure that quite often, don't you?"

"You don't have to be sorry. It's them. They always hurt me… push me to my limit," muttered Theodore.

"So you retaliate by hurting them back —?"

"They deserve it!" Theodore snapped. He realised his rudeness and look down to his feet again.

"Theodore, there is one thing that we wizards and witches do not condone in our world,” said Dumbledore with severity. “We don't ever use our magic to hurt others. Not our own kind, not Muggles, nobody. No matter how much they hurt you."

Theodore scoffed gently. "And I suppose that there is a wizard-jail as well if I get caught, huh?"

"Actually, there is. Azkaban. A place for those who abuse their power and face the consequences of their actions."

"Oh…" He felt a bit foolish into trying to mock him.

"I've met people like you, Theodore. Lost and angry at the world, knowing that they grew with nothing. I've seen what that anger did to those people. It ruins the soul." Dumbledore had turned very serious in his words. The jubilant man had been buried down. "Trust me when I say this: let that go. For your own sake. Promise me, Theodore."

Theodore nodded his head slightly. He didn't think that he could fear a strange old man.

Dumbledore's usual demeanour returned as he sat up from his chair and placed his wand back into his coat pocket. "Now, we are awfully late for what I’ve planned for today! We must hurry at once!"

Theodore glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner. "But it's only twenty past eleven, Professor. What could we be possibly late for at this time?"

"You'll see. But I should recommend a change of clothes. A different shirt would be nice."

"Couldn't you just make the blood disappear?"

"I could…"

…

"I'll be back then," said Theodore as he walked out of the room. Dumbledore was a very odd man. Brilliant, yes, but very odd. He dashed through the corridors carefully to avoid crashing into Gretchen again. She'd probably kill him on the spot if she could. He eventually found his bedroom door and shut it tightly behind him. He was glad that he didn't see anybody else as well. The possibility of him inflicting pain on another person was quite high.

Theodore turned around to face his cupboard but was caught in the embrace of somebody else. "Theo, you're OK! You are OK, right? I swear, I'm gonna pour toilet water on Simeon's face when he sleeps —!"

"Calm down, Louise, I'm fine. Why are you in my room anyways? In fact, where were you today — you left me all alone!"

Louise frowned at Theodore. "I was in the discussion room with Mr and Mrs Reagul! They were considering taking me in, remember? Sometimes, I think the only person you think about is yourself."

"That's not true."

"Whatever." Louise lifted her chin and sat at the desk chair, facing away from Theodore. Seconds passed before she flicked her hair around her eyes and spun the chair around to see what Theodore was doing. Theodore was fumbling in his cupboard some more and pulled out his jacket from the hangers, along with a new green shirt thrown on.

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know."

"It's the old guy, isn't it?"

"Well done."

"Are you going to be gone for long?"

"Louise, I don't know where I'm going."

"Just asking." Theodore zipped up his jacket and walked over to the door. "Hey Theo, you think you could get something for me? Like sweets?"

"Uh… I'll see."

Louise fiddled with her fingers as she smiled. "Thanks, Theo."

"Don't mention it. And Louise?"

"Yeah?"

"Please leave my room." Theodore shut the door behind him as the sounds of Louise blowing a raspberry were silenced.

* * *

  
Theodore had spent the last three minutes relaxing his stomach to ease the growing queasiness. He was just subjected to the worst possible mode of transportation, without any type of warning from Dumbledore. Dumbledore didn't seem that worried for him as he was glad that he hadn't ‘splinched’ in half, a term that Theodore wasn’t familiar with.

Theodore's stomach rested as he took a chance to see his surroundings. He was in a secluded area which seemed to be the back of a building. A worn out wooden sign that was laid onto the bricked floor on the side read Leaky Cauldron. "Professor, are you sure we're in the right place? Because I can smell — beer?"

"We’re in the correct place, but just give me a quick moment, please." Dumbledore reached for his wand once more and tapped the stone wall in a rhythmic pattern. Theodore noticed that a single brick was missing from the wall. Then two. Then four. Then eight. Then so on and so forth. The bricks shifted and moved by themselves to open up a passage for the two to walk through. Theodore was struck with awe, but hopped quickly to Dumbledore's side as he strode onwards.

The sight was just astonishing. Streams and crowds of people, all garbed in strange clothes, moved in and out of the various shops that were on the side of the wide road in the middle. He saw owls soaring above their heads, hooting and communicating with each other. He could see a shop displaying the most bizarre sweets that he had ever seen in his life. On his left, a shop specialising in robes and on his right, a shop that had a multitude of books. All of this was simply wonderful. He could also see that some people gave them, or rather Dumbledore, random stares and smiles. It wasn't until a man had rushed to the pair that Theodore realised what kind of position Dumbledore was in around here.

"Hello there, Albus! Good to see you again! How have you been, dear friend?" The man was lanky but had a round belly which stuck out through his orange robes. His blonde hair was balding on the top and stuck out wildly from the sides. He honestly looked as if he escaped a mental institution five minutes ago.

"Good to see you too, Torgan! I'm just here to help one of my newest students pick out his school equipment for him. Smart boy, I'll say."

"Well, if Dumbledore himself has taken him under his wing, then I should believe so! What is your name, son?"

Theodore swallowed painfully and answered, "Theodore Riddle."

"Riddle, ey? Not a usual name, is it? Half-blood, perhaps?"

Dumbledore nodded his head.

"You know, I think I knew a person called Riddle. It was awfully a long time ago…"

Both Dumbledore and Theodore listened to the wizard's rambling as he droned on about his time in Bermuda. Theodore's eyes wondered across the large alleyway and into the shop with the robes inside. Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. The shop seemed interesting enough, but not as interesting as the wand shop that he had passed a few moments ago. That would definitely be the highlight of the day.

Theodore was lost in his own thoughts for so long that he did not realise a girl was staring at him through the window. Her bushy wild hair was difficult to miss, and her brown eyes were wide open as she refused to look anywhere else. Theodore was not at all sure as to why she was suddenly gawping at him, but he could see that her cheeks were considerably red. Surely she couldn't be looking at him.

"Let's get a move on, Theodore!" He turned back to Dumbledore and came to his side again. He saw that Torgan had disappeared into one of the other shops with another wizard. He probably went to go bore him to death as well.

"Your friend speaks too much."

"That is not untrue,” Dumbledore chortled.

They walked through the crowds of people, stopping for conversation every now and then before returning to their usual pacing. Theodore wondered why they hadn't walked into a single shop so far. Dumbledore didn't bring him here for sightseeing.

"Aren't we going to buy some school stuff?"

"In time, yes. But first we need some money."

At the end of the High Street, a larger marble-looking building shone brightly as the golden words Gringotts Bank was there for all to see. People with their children rushed in and out of the main doors, carrying large and small packages, presumably for school.

They stepped onto the polished front of the building and made their way inside — the interior was grand and even more pristine than the outside had made it out to be. The gigantic chandeliers hung high and all the golden statues on the walls had faces which grimaced, almost like a…

"Are those goblins?" Theodore whispered to Dumbledore.

"Right you are. They own and operate the bank due to their expertise in metalwork. It's a known fact that if you want any of your prized possessions to be safe, you store it at Gringotts." Dumbledore had stopped at the nearest goblin on his right, who was elevated by a large desk. Dumbledore whipped out a key from his pockets and passed it on to the goblin.

"The key to Hogwarts financial savings… this way, Headmaster," the goblin spoke in a gravelly tone. His scrunched expression made it seem as if he held a lot of internal anger that was ready to explode at a moment’s notice.

The goblin disappeared behind the desk and hobbled around to the wizards, revealing his stature. He was barely able to reach up to Theodore's stomach, let alone his chest. He scurried across the clean floors to the end of the large room and pushed through an arched doorway. Theodore passed through it just fine, but Dumbledore lowered his head to avoid being smacked straight in the face. Behind the door laid a cave-like setting full of hollowed out tunnels which led to many different ones, all of which had a set of rails entering within each tunnel.

The goblin then clambered into an average-sized carriage that had just appeared from nowhere instantly. Theodore climbed inside as did Dumbledore and a split second later, the carriage shot forward like a bullet. The feeling of moving at breakneck speed did not sit well with Theodore as he was prone to having a 'sissy stomach', according to Gretchen. It was just better to hold onto the rails and hope for the best that the ride wouldn't last that long.

Exactly one minute later, the carriage halted to one of the rocky platforms below. Dumbledore sprung out of his seat like a child who had finished a fairground ride; unfortunately, Theodore could not match that energy. The goblin did not care for the boy's dizziness and hopped out of the carriage.

"Do we always have to take this way down here?" Theodore slurred.

"The only way in. Stops nosy wizards from stealing their stuff," the goblin replied nastily.

The trio walked along the platform and encountered a large vault door. The goblin used the key that was given to him by Dumbledore and twisted it inside the keyhole. Clicks and clanks were heard until the vault door swung open. Dumbledore stepped inside which opted Theodore to do the same. The vault’s contents was littered with towers of golden coins, all nearly piled up and arranged in an orderly pattern. Some were silver, and some were bronze but the sheer amount of gold snatched Theodore's attention.

Dumbledore scooped up a few golden coins in his brown satchel until he was satisfied. "I think that should be enough for today. Come along!"

Theodore was left without words but followed him outside the vault and back into the carriage, ever so curious as to what he could possibly buy with all the money that was there.

_In Madam Malkin's…_

The clothes shop was full of adults and children who excitedly ran around, ignoring their parents’ direct orders to stop where they were. Some kids stood on stools while they were being measured and sized for their school robes. Theodore wondered why they couldn't just pick a size and move on like in the Muggle world. It seemed like a waste of time to tailor each child that came through.

Dumbledore had stepped out to someplace else, leaving Theodore alone in the corner of the store holding the large sack of 'Galleons' as told by Dumbledore. Stares had been earned by him as many people looked perplexed about his clothing which stood out from the majority of the occupants in the shop. He didn't give them any attention and reviewed his list again. He had already gotten the cauldron, the telescope, scales and all the books that he needed. The pointed hat was the only part of the uniform that he bought and the wand was the only equipment that was missing. He tucked the piece of paper into his trouser pocket and decided to open up one of the books to treat his boredom.

"Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them. By Newt Scamander. Who the hell would call their own child 'Newt'?"

"It really is odd, isn't it?" Theodore turned his head to his left. The same girl with the bushy hair sat next to him on the waiting bench with a black robe draped over her. An emblem that was divided into four different coloured sections was stuck on the higher parts of the robe.

She stuck out a hand with a smile on her face; Theodore noticed that her front two teeth was larger than the rest. "My name is Hermione Granger. I'm going to Hogwarts as well."

Theodore shook her hand and replied calmly, "Theodore Riddle."

"Riddle? That sounds like a Muggle name. Are you a Muggle-born, like me?"

"What's a Muggle-born? Besides, I'm a half-blood."

"You don't know what that means? I thought that you would already know that." Theodore could detect a hint of snoot in her sentence. This girl could potentially be an annoyance to him. "It means a wizard or witch born from two Muggle parents."

"How does that work?"

"I'm not sure really, but I'm certain that it's in a book somewhere."

"Huh." Theodore tried to focus back onto the book, but Hermione insisted on speaking with him.

"Have you done any magic so far? I have. I once made my mother's hair grow flowers. It was a bit terrifying for her, but it all calmed down when they found out that I was a witch."

"Erm, yeah, I've done some magic."

"Like what?"

Theodore flashed back to earlier in the day, him forcing Simeon to scream in anguish. Hermione would probably be disgusted if she heard what he had done. "I turned my classroom's fish into a frog with wings when I was five." He wasn't telling an exact lie. The goldfish had sprouted green legs and bulbous eyes, that it might as well been called a frog.

"You did magic at five years old? Most people don't show any signs until they're seven. I read that in a book." Theodore attempted to kill the conversation by not saying anything, but it only led to more questions. "Did you come with anybody today?"

"Yes."

…

"Well, who?"

"Dumbledore."

"You're lying."

"I'm really not."

"You know the famous Albus Dumbledore? That's amazing! You have to be really special if he came with you. Normally, I'd expect Harry Potter to be with him, of course —"

"Look. Hermione. I know that you're happy about all this magic stuff and everything. I am too. But don't you think that you can talk about this with your other friends?"

Hermione's face instantly dropped. "But… I don't have any other friends…"

_‘Gee, I wonder why.'_

Theodore finally got back to his book and opened the first page. He didn't glance over to Hermione who was clearly hurt by his comment. She twiddled her fingers together and hung her head low in silence. After half a minute, Theodore slightly turned his head to see if the girl had left. All he saw was Hermione red-faced with misty eyes. She tried to hide them underneath her mane, but it was obvious that she was about to cry. She was acting just like Louise when he’d rub her the wrong way.

Hermione wiped her tears with her sleeve before Theodore gave a nudge on her arm. "Well, you might as well be my friend, seeing as you have no others."

She immediately took that as a compliment and gave a little smile towards him. If that was his way of apologising to her, then it was good enough.

"Hermione, let's go. Are you crying?" a woman in casual Muggle clothing, followed by a man, called out to Hermione.

She quickly rubbed her eyes and stood up from the bench. "No, no! I'm fine, Mum. Just all this… dust that’s all over the place."

"Looks pretty clean to me," said Hermione's father. "Anyways, that's the last of it. We've got everything so now we can go home."

Hermione stood between her parents and made their way outside the doorway. She turned around and gave a large wave to Theodore and left Madam Malkin's. A second later, Dumbledore had walked through the door, enjoying himself to the sweets that were seen in the sweet shop down the road. Theodore looked at him wondering if this man was really the great famous wizard that everyone made him out to be, or if he was a child stuck in an old man's body. The latter seemed the most plausible at the given situation.

_After an hour in Madam Malkin's…_

The hunt for finding the perfect robe, jumper and tie came to a finish as Theodore finally stepped out into the High Street again. The number of people had reduced slightly but was still a large amount. The flying broomstick that was on display in the store near the Leaky Cauldron was surrounded by boys who pressed their faces against the glass. If it could fly higher than the kites in the sky, then Theodore didn't want it. The two weaved through everyone until they reached the wand shop. Ollivander's. This was going to be interesting.

They walked into the empty shop and looked around to see if anyone was there. The vacant store look terribly old-fashioned, with antique objects hung and lain above the dust-ridden furniture. Theodore dare say that he even saw a large spider scale along the ceiling and into one of the cracks. Dumbledore was observing the precious objects with curiosity. Theodore, however, just wanted his wand. He slowly walked to the counter and called out for anybody.

"Hello? Is anybody here…? Hello?" No answer. "Professor there's nobody here — agh!"

An old man had popped up right in the boy's face, causing him to jump backwards. He had snow-white hair and thick eyebrows, and his eyes were almost silvery with small dots in the middle — his suit was similar to Dumbledore's with a little less frill. His appearance made him seem like quite the gentleman, if he had not scared Theodore.

"Good afternoon! Terribly sorry if I had startled you, I was just arranging some things. Hello there, Albus!"

"Hello to you, Garrick! How have you been?"

"I feel fantastic, old friend. I just came back from a bit of wand wood searching. The number of children coming in here is growing ever so quickly! But I know that must mean more students for you, no?"

"Absolutely. Here's another one for you. A strong boy, no doubt."

Ollivander brought his circular-rimmed glasses to his face and observed Theodore thoroughly. "Ah, yes. Handpicked from the man himself? You must be talented. May I ask you of your name?"

"Theodore Riddle." Ollivander struggled to swallow as his eyes flashed with fear for a quick second. Theodore remembered that a similar thing happened when he told Dumbledore that he could speak to snakes. He couldn't see what caused them to act so.

"Riddle, Riddle, Riddle… A very peculiar name. Very peculiar!" It seemed that being cryptic was a trait in all old wizards.

"Why is my name peculiar to you?"

Ollivander leaned inwards, closing the space between him and Theodore and muttered, "I remembered such a name, which walked into my shop many years ago. Yes… Riddle. That was his name."

"My… father?"

Ollivander nodded his head. His eyes were wide open, creeping Theodore out by just a bit. "I remember. Yew, thirteen and a half inches long with a phoenix feather core. I remember it all too well… your father had accomplished great things with his wand. Great, great things! I can only hope that you follow in his footsteps in more ways than one, but… not too many."

Theodore was silently locked in between eye contact with Mr Ollivander. The way he had described his father made it seem as if he was a profound wizard. But why did he say 'but not too many'? Was he evil? Was his prowess in magic too much to handle that he killed himself doing so? Whatever it was, Theodore would dig up later. For now, his wand was his top priority.

"So, do I pick out any wand I like?" Theodore finally said, diverting his gaze from Ollivander’s eyes to anywhere else.

Ollivander guffawed as loudly as a man who downed a good three pints of beer. Dumbledore placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Theodore, the wand chooses the wizard, not the other way around," Dumbledore explained.

"But that makes no sense! Wands aren't supposed to think for themselves, are they?"

Ollivander walked over to the various small boxes in the shelves behind him and traced along them all until he slid one out. He opened it up to reveal a brown wand inside a purple cushion. "Here. Alder, twelve inches with dragon heartstring as a core. Smooth and springy."

He handed it over to Theodore who held it in his fingers loosely. The wand was inert and did not do anything. He gave it a wave and tried to make something happen, but nothing. He handed it back to Ollivander. "Can I try another one?"

"Of course, my boy! You shall not leave until you have one!" He reached in the back and brought another box. He took the wand out and twirled it like an expert.

"This one here is from an oak tree. Fourteen inches, unicorn hair core, good for charms and simple magic." He handed it to Theodore. The second his fingertips touched the wand, it shook violently and blasted its way across the room before snapping in half. Theodore was embarrassed that a wand had rejected him by so much that it had to break itself into smaller pieces.

Ollivander was not angry but frustrated that none of these wands seemed compatible to Theodore. He tried the next one, and the next one, and the next. Most of them did nothing, some of them blew up the furniture in the shop and others proceeded to snap themselves in half. Theodore was very disheartened that this was happening to him. Even Dumbledore was surprised that none of these wands had matched.

"Ah, I'm sorry. I've never seen anything like this happen before in my days of working here. I'm not too sure as to what I must do. Maybe if you come back another time…"

"But I have to get my wand now! What's the entire point of learning magic if I can't have a wand?" Theodore complained. His doubts were getting the better of him.

"Theodore, have some patience. School is not tomorrow, you'll have your wand," said Dumbledore.

Just as Theodore’s face had grown dark with narrowed eyes, Ollivander improvised on the spot to try and ease the tension. He brought out a large box from underneath the counter and slammed it down. "You know, when I was a young lad and I began my career in wandlore, I created many combinations of different wand woods and cores inside. Of course, now I use only three types of cores, but maybe there is something for you inside here. Let's see, dogwood, vine, no… yes! Here it is."

He brought out a sleek black wand with an odd design. From the tip to the middle, the wand’s girth expanded, only to become thinner at the grip of the wand. At the bottom, a small swirl of intricate designs were too small to observe properly. It looked very dissimilar from the other wands. "Acacia, twelve and three-quarters inches long, and a Thestral tail hair as a core. Very tricky wand to make. It had taken me many months to even find the Thestral for it."

"Why did you store it away?"

"The nature of the wood and core was too… opposite. The wood was unyielding to anyone but its master; the core would share its power with anyone regardless of its original owner. The combination seemed intriguing at the time but proved to be ineffective. Perhaps you have something that no other has had before to master it."

Ollivander handed the wand to Theodore. He slowly held it with his fingers in case it decided to fly off on its own. The wand did nothing for the first four seconds. Theodore was about to hand it back when he felt a surge of power propagate from his fingertips to his entire body. The wand released white sparks which whizzed around his arm before fizzing away. He found it. He had found the wand. His wand. He could feel himself being able to conjure a storm, a tornado of fire from just a flick of his wand. Maybe he could.

Dumbledore clapped as if he witnessed a wonder in wizarding history. "Splendid, dear boy! Congratulations! I'm so proud!"

"I am too. I've only sold one wand in that box to somebody else and that one didn't seem, in the slightest, worthy of the poor witch. I wish of you the best with it," said Ollivander as he bowed in respect.

Theodore wanted to sneer but felt that it was unnecessary to do so. He had gotten what he wanted. He placed the wand in his pocket before remembering one thing. "Oh, yeah. Is there a price for the wand?" Theodore asked.

"Seven Galleons." Theodore turned to Dumbledore who handed him seven coins to which he handed to Ollivander. He dropped them in his little bag: Theodore could not hear any sounds of coins crashing into each other, but he ignored it.

The two waved goodbye to the old man and made their way to the Leaky Cauldron. There was a lot of equipment that he needed to bring back to the orphanage, so he had hoped that Dumbledore would be merciful as to teleport him back or whatever that was, no matter how much he hated it. Theodore decided to not get a pet either as he realised that snakes were not allowed. A frog and a cat seemed useless and the owl was all right. But what would he need it for, anyways?

Theodore and Dumbledore reached the courtyard for the Leaky Cauldron and entered through the back to fill their stomachs before departing. The air was full of alcoholic fumes, mixed with the smell of food that was ravishing to Theodore. He pulled his bags and equipment to the nearest table and plopped himself on the chair to rub his sore palms. Dumbledore had gone off to the front of the building and spoke among the other wizards who were ecstatic to speak with the older man. This had given Theodore a chance to look at his wand and books further without interruptions.

"As I live and breathe! It's Albus Dumbledore! What could I do for you, sir?" the barkeeper asked cheerfully.

"Could you make one of your afternoon plates with an apple pie on the side and a butter beer, please?"

"It'd be my pleasure!"

"Thank you, Tom."

Tom waved his wand in his fingers and just like that, the cupboards opened by themselves. Ingredients floated out above the oven and a pan, spatula and knife followed suit.

"I never known you for being such a heavy eater, sir. What's the occasion?" Dumbledore pointed at Theodore whose nose was stuck in a book, quite literally. "Lucky boy. Relative?"

"No. But I did know his parents very well before they left him."

"The boy has no parents?" asked Tom in a whisper. Dumbledore nodded. "Such a shame. It's bad enough that countless of people had lost their lives more than twelve years ago, and now these children are going around without a mother and father! Makes me wonder sometimes… Do you think You Know Who had anything to do with him?"

"Young Theodore's abandonment was the cause of You Know Who's actions. Just… not in the way that you think." Dumbledore paid for the freshly prepared meal and brought the tray over to Theodore who was fiddling with his telescope.

"Careful now. You don't want to break it before the first term starts."

"I was careful." The sight and smell smacked Theodore in the face as his mouth leaked with saliva. He had never seen food this good before in his life. He didn't want to ask for any, just in case it wasn't for him, but God did he want all of it.

"This is for you, you know," Dumbledore stated as he smiled at the boy.

"R-really? For me?"

"Dig in."

Theodore grabbed the fork and scoffed the food straight into his mouth. The meat was so much more tastier than the fish he had at the orphanage. The roasted potatoes were scrumptious with the perfect amount of salty gravy poured over it. He smacked his teeth a few times to suck out every single taste that was left undigested. Before he knew it, the plate only held a pool of gravy and some potato skin. Luckily for him, it was only the beginning as he started on the warm apple pie that had a small cube of sweet butter on top. Each slice was better than the last. Each apple piece was sweeter. Everything about it was perfect.

When that was finished, he took the strange-looking drink and sipped it first as he never tasted it before. He smacked his lips for three seconds and then took larger gulps. It was much more filling than hot chocolate. He drank and drank until there was nothing left for him to down, only the froth that laid on top of the drink before. He wiped underneath his nose and sucked his fingers. That was the greatest meal that he ever had. The food at home paled in comparison to what was served here. Louise would have loved it. She'd devour it like a food-deprived hyena.

"My, my! You're a hungry child, aren't you?" Dumbledore chuckled.

Theodore had pigged himself out in front of Dumbledore and acted like the other barbarians in the orphanage. He felt ashamed. "Sorry. I’ve never eaten anything like that before," Theodore replied in a quiet voice.

Dumbledore held out his palm to show that it was alright.

"Professor, if you don't mind me asking, who was my father? Mr Ollivander said that he did great things. What things did he actually do?"

Dumbledore didn't say anything for a moment, then spoke out his response, "Your father was a man called Tom Riddle. He was a student at Hogwarts, just like you'll be in a few months. He was a brilliant student. Absolutely top class. Possibly the greatest student to ever walk the hallways of Hogwarts itself. Yes, Tom was magnificent."

"So how did he die?"

…

"Your father was… destroyed by dark magic. There was nothing that anyone could do. Nobody could save him."

"I think I understand… And my mother? What was her name?"

"Valerie. Valerie Potter."

"Did they not marry or…?"

"I think marriage was the very least of their 'problems', when they had you." Theodore could see in Dumbledore’s eyes that he didn't want to speak any further. Theodore didn't care. He was going to find out either way.

"So how did my mother die?"

"Theodore, some things can't be told to you when you want them to. Sometimes, they reveal themselves at their own accord. I know you want everything about your parents to come from me, but I won't tell them to you. Not now." Serious Dumbledore was back. Theodore turned his head to the equipment on his left. He was angry that Dumbledore was avoiding his direct questions but chose to leave it. It wouldn't do him any good if he persisted even further. The two sat in silence until the clock struck at half past five, signalling them to leave for Theodore's orphanage.

_At eight o'clock…_

The orphanage was dead silent. The Madam had finished her paperwork in her office and trudged into her room, shutting the door behind her. The chirps of birds and grasshoppers alike seeped into the windows of Theodore’s room as he laid in his bed restlessly. The day had started off so badly, then it changed to the greatest day ever, only for it to end on a low note. The Madam had helped him bring his stuff to his room and ever since then, he didn't come out. The other children were curious as to where he went but didn't ask him. Typical.

The late afternoon turned into the early night as Gretchen shouted through the hallways to tell everyone that it was bedtime. The door swung open and slammed shut as usual. The only thing that was out of place was that he didn't see Louise anywhere. She was always the first one to speak to him if he ever left the orphanage, which was rare. He didn't see a mop of unkept hair bouncing its way to him. Just a bunch of stares from a bunch of soulless children.

Theodore twisted in his bed to try and think of something else. Like Hogwarts. Or his new friend Hermione. Or maybe the delicious meal that he had at the Leaky Cauldron. He could feel himself slipping away into slumber when something warm grabbed his feet under his sheets. He pulled his feet away and sat up immediately. Louise was staring back at him, hand over her mouth to avoid her laughter from spilling out.

"Why the hell are you not in bed?! You're going to get us both into trouble!" Theodore hissed.

"Well, I didn't see you earlier on, so why not now? Move over, will you?" She climbed onto the bed and sat next to Theodore. Louise was wearing a light grey, long sleeved pyjama shirt with pink pyjama bottoms and white socks with a small bow attached to each one.

"Louise, you really can't be here."

"I'm only here for my sweets. You didn't forget, did you?" Before Theodore had gotten his wand, he stopped at the sweet shop to buy most of the normal-looking sweets that he could find. Liquorice Wands and Apple Rings. Everything else was too strange to show to Louise.

He opened up the draw in his desk and took the packets and sweet wands out. Louise looked amazed by the Apple Rings but was confused by the other. "Liquorice Wands? What the hell is that?"

"It's one of those new sweets. Exclusive. First come, first serve."

Louise bit inside the opened Liquorice Wand and chewed until delight had spread across her face. "I love it! It's so — so good! It tastes even better than the soggy liquorice in Gretchen's cabinet."

"Now that you have your sweets, go back to bed." Louise pouted.

"Two more minutes. Please!"

Theodore reluctantly nodded as Louise squeezed him in a tight hug. Theodore lightly tapped her back before she released. The pair talked about Simeon crying in the first aid room, Gretchen being told off by the Madam and what happened in the room with the Reaguls. Two minutes turned into five, and five into fifteen, and fifteen into two hours. They babbled on and on regardless of the time. Just a young wizard and his Muggle best friend without a care in the world.


	3. Chapter 3

It had finally come for the first day at Hogwarts to arrive, and Theodore had never felt any happier. The passing months dragged on for so long that he didn't even acknowledge his own birthday. The 6th of April was quicker than the blink of an eye to Theodore, although Louise had made it quite memorable as to baking a small cake for him with Madam Geoffrey.

During this long period, Theodore had extensively gone over the majority of his books, reading the various spells that he would learn at Hogwarts and learning the significant events that shaped the wizarding world today. He had come across many names that were familiar to him, such as the legendary duel between Dumbledore and the dark wizard Grindelwald which happened around Dumbledore's prime. From eye witnesses alone, it was said that no duel, before or after, could even come close. Theodore had to admit that he was slightly impressed by this, only because he hadn't seen Dumbledore since their trip to Diagon Alley.

Another name that was familiar to him was Harry Potter — Hermione had mentioned him when she was going on about herself. According to the books, a powerful evil wizard who had terrorised the wizarding world was vanquished by this 'Harry Potter' when he was only just a baby.

_'What self-proclaimed Dark Lord allows himself to be defeated by a mere baby? How pathetic.'_

Harry was dubbed 'The Boy Who Lived' by everyone else but was removed from the public to live with his Muggle relatives somewhere, as he was orphaned on that very night. Seemed sad enough, but he heard that all before.

Gretchen's oddly nice-looking car was parked in front of the orphanage with the boot wide open. All of Theodore's new school supplies were stuffed in the back as Gretchen struggled to keep it closed. Theodore was in his bedroom making sure that he had collected every single important item that he would take with him; it would infuriate him if he had forgotten just one thing. He opened his draw and picked up Louise's necklace and pocketed it carefully. Maybe she was right about it helping him remember her.

He closed it shut and walked over to the door to leave. As he swung it open, Louise was standing behind the doorway with her hands behind her back and a face full of sadness. Her green eyes stood out from her red face, and her hair was tied in a ponytail. Theodore had almost thought that she looked… pretty.

Theodore was about to ask her something when she cut him off. "You don't forget me, OK!? Because if you will, I'll… come to your stupid school and… and…"

"Louise…"

She tiptoed as she threw her arms around Theodore's neck. He could hear her sob a little bit and held her closer as well. Even though he wasn't going to cry, his heart felt like it was ready to ache the second he would step outside the orphanage. Louise was the only person he would consider family in his life over there, and he was leaving her. This was truly a day of joy and dread.

Louise cried some more on his chest until he 'pushed' her off in the most gentle way possible. She wiped her tears while she maintained a smile for self-reassurance as Theodore said, "I'll come back on Christmas, I promise."

"It's OK, you don't have to."

"Oh please, I know you'll want me back by then," he sarcastically remarked.

Louise gave an adorable snicker to which even Theodore could not resist. "You better get down there. Gretchen looked pretty angry when she was putting your stuff in her boot."

"And what's even worse is that I have to go to King's Cross with her."

"You'll manage. It's only like, what, forty minutes away?" she retorted as she pretended to look at a watch on her wrist. They both laughed as they walked out of the room and to the front of the building.

As Theodore carried on through the door, Louise stopped at the doorway to watch her best friend leave. Gretchen had managed to close the boot and was seated on the driver's side with a look of hatred in her eyes. She really didn't want to be the person to do this. Theodore opened the backseat door on the left and sat down on the soft leather seat which was surprisingly springy. The scent of the car was the exact opposite of Gretchen's; Theodore was reminded of apples and a strong scent of pine cones.

He strapped the seatbelt on and turned to Louise who looked like she was about to cry again. Theodore stuck his finger in his mouth and pretended to poke it inside Gretchen's ear who took no notice. Louise held her stomach in laughter while she waved goodbye. The car pulled away from the orphanage and soon enough, it disappeared from his sight. Suddenly, an attachment that was strong inside his heart loosened. How odd.

* * *

  
The journey to King's Cross Station was awkward and disgusting to Theodore. He knew that Gretchen deliberately sped up at every speed bump to try and damage any of his things. He swore that when he came back, he'd curse her for all the grief that she had caused him. The traffic was minimal, which allowed the quickest route possible to escape the uncomfortable setting.

Around fifteen minutes later, the car pulled over to King's Cross Station where it was even more crowded than Diagon Alley. They both opened their respective car doors and walked around to the back of the car. As the boot door was lifted, Theodore checked thoroughly to see if any type of damage was inflicted onto his belongings. Luckily for Gretchen, there wasn't a single one in sight.

Gretchen then went off to get a luggage trolley while Theodore stood silently. He tapped his thigh in boredom as he counted the passing cars that were painted red. A grunt from Gretchen caught his attention as she transferred his things to the trolley — obviously, he would have to push it himself. They walked themselves into the building and up to the platforms. Theodore had never seen a train before in his life; the feeling of the locomotives' weight rumbling throughout the ground gave him a slight tingle in his spine. He never been so far out from the orphanage in his life. It was all so surreal for him.

"So, I suppose you know where to go," Gretchen spoke.

"Yeah, Platform Nine And Three-Quarters."

"Are you trying to get smart with me after I drove you over here? There's no such thing as Platform — whatever nonsense you just said!"

"But that's what it said on my acceptance letter…" Theodore muttered despairingly as he gripped the handlebar tightly.

Gretchen squealed as she laughed. Theodore cringed.

"Then perhaps that old man was pulling your leg after all! That is hilarious!"

"You can leave now."

Gretchen sneered and mumbled underneath her breath as she turned to leave the boy alone. Theodore was now alone in King's Cross Station with no idea as to how to get to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. It seemed like a stupid idea, but checking out Platforms Nine and Ten could be a start.

He wheeled his trolley over to the platforms and halted. Nothing odd happened. No magic train had burst from the ground; no sudden change of his surroundings. He was beginning to wonder if he was really in the right place. _'Maybe it's downstairs… no, that's stupid.'_

He looked around for anyone else who was seemingly looking for the same platform, but nobody batted an eye. He looked up at the two signs with '9' and '10', and looked down on the pillar between the two. The platform was apparently between them, so it had to be around this area. A guard discreetly glanced at the boy's clueless nature. He stood right next to the pillar that Theodore was looking at and turned his head slowly to face the boy. Theodore caught him staring and narrowed his eyes. There was something off about this man. The guard then tilted his head at the pillar as if he wanted Theodore to go… through it? The idea was absurd! Just as absurd as the idea of magic… which was real.

He was going to do it. He was going to ram straight through that wall, and there could only be two certain outcomes. Theodore gripped the handlebar of the trolley tight and readied his legs to gain a good running start. He slowly counted down from three, two, one — and he was off! He charged towards the wall with all the strength that his legs could muster. The wall was getting closer and closer. He wanted to stop out of fear of crashing and embarrassing himself, but his legs wouldn't allow it. Theodore approached the wall quicker and quicker until there was but an inch between the pillar and the front of his trolley.

What he expected to be slamming his face straight into the wall was replaced by total blackness, followed by a completely different area. It was a train platform sure enough, but it wasn't any train platform that he'd seen before. The platform was full of children and parents shouting amongst each other as the magnificent red train that was present shook and whistled loudly.

Theodore slowly moved his trolley to the further end parts of the platform where most of the other people were. From the looks of it, it seemed as if he was the only parentless child there. One of the train guards saw him alone and rushed to his side to help him. The man was kind enough as to load his luggage into the train and to take his trolley away. Theodore was glad that he wasn't going to push around his stuff for the whole journey. He looked up at the sign above his head to verify his location and sure enough, 9¾ was hung high up.

He sighed in relief that he was not lost and had finally made it. He scoured around the platform to see if Hermione had made it here before him. Theodore couldn't see her, but many other people stood out from the crowds. A boy, probably his age, with neat blonde hair was speaking with his father who had the same coloured hair, and his mother, also blonde. They were all dressed in expensive black clothes which could only mean that they were from a high class family. Probably pure-bloods. Another set of a larger family caught his attention too. They all had fiery-red hair and rough clothes compared to the blonde family. They all looked the same except for one boy. His hair was messy and jet-black; he had circular-rimmed glasses and wore a shirt and trousers that looked too baggy on him.

Theodore turned away and found an opening for students to enter the train. A large queue formed around it and Theodore was, unfortunately, at the very back. Surprisingly, it was not long until he made it on the train and into the compacted hallways. Many children of different ages ran into different compartments and slammed the doors shut.

He passed each door that was closed with nobody willing to invite him in; although a compartment full of girls almost closed the door as Theodore passed by but kept it open for just a bit to gawk at him. The girls all gave him flirtatious waves as he hurried off, flustered. He heard them giggle behind him before they shut their compartment door. He slipped into an open compartment and sat down quickly. Open attention from girls was very new to him.

A pudgy blonde boy sat opposite from him as he watched Theodore with an awkward smile. He was round-faced and buck toothed, and Theodore could easily tell that this boy did not possess any self-esteem through mere eye contact.

"Hi! My name is Neville Longbottom! Pleased to meet you!" At least he was polite.

"Theodore Riddle."

"Cool. Are you a first year?"

Theodore nodded his head.

"Me too. I can't wait to get there! My grandmother had told me all about it! They said that house-elves actually make the food for us. Isn't that wicked?"

"I guess so."

"What House do you think you might be in? My family's hoping that I get into Gryffindor, but I know that Hufflepuff is calling for me."

"Slytherin, maybe," Theodore replied without hesitation. From what he heard about the House, he was sure that he belonged there, disregarding its fairly bad reputation.

Neville grimaced at Theodore’s answer, however. "Ooh, I've heard about that House. A lot of dark wizards and witches were in Slytherin. Even You-Know-Who."

"Voldemort went to Hogwarts?" asked Theodore with curiosity.

Neville jumped as if he had been poked with an iron fork. "You said his name!"

"So? Nothing is going to happen."

"But still. You said it! Aren't you scared of him?"

Theodore gave off a scoff, replying with, "I don't see why anybody should be scared of a wizard who was defeated by a baby. If I were him, I'd stay hidden forever."

"Grandma said he did really bad things when he was strong. Of course, he's probably gone right now, but he might still be out there. At least that's what my grandma says." Neville looked pale from speaking about the subject and looked out the window. Another whistle blew and the train shuddered before slowly moving forward.

Theodore also looked out the window to see the station slowly moving away further and further. The train began to pick up more speed as it hurried along the tracks, increasing in acceleration. Boredom had gotten the better of Theodore as he had wished that something or someone would happen to appear right about —

"Excuse me? Can I stay in here? The other compartments are — oh hiya, Theodore!" Hermione stood at the sliding door with her hair still bushy as ever. She was already wearing her school uniform under her robes which was neat from her socks to the position of her purely black tie. She sat herself next to Neville who was shy to see her. "The last time I saw you was ages ago! What have you been up to?"

"Nothing really. All I did was read my books over and over again."

"So did I. I practiced a few spells myself at home. Of course, I wasn't allowed to, but I wasn't really a Hogwarts student back then, was I? How about you?"

"Somebody would've heard me in my orphanage, so I didn't bother trying," Theodore said casually as he leaned back comfortably.

"You're an orphan?" Hermione asked quietly. Neville looked invested in the conversation as he looked at Theodore with a mixture of slight shock and sympathy. Or was it empathy; Theodore could barely tell.

"Yeah. Everything I remember was in my orphanage. I have no clue as to how my parents died. Well, except for my dad, and I barely have an idea about that as well."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Not your fault."

An old woman with a trolley of treats passed by their compartment, chanting in a sing-song manner. Neville reached inside his pockets and pulled out a few Galleons. Hermione followed suit.

"Excuse me, miss!" Hermione called out.

The lady backed up and smiled to the children. "Anything off the trolleys, dears?"

The two picked handfuls of sweets and chocolates from the trolleys until they had enough to fill a school bag. Neville opened up Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans and chewed on one before spitting it back out. Hermione had purchased some Liquorice Wands and Pumpkin Pasties, to which she thoroughly enjoyed. Theodore was feeling a bit jealous that they had money to spend while he had nothing.

"Anything for you, dear?" the old witch asked Theodore. He shook his head and turned to the window. He kept his head like that until he felt a tap on his thigh. Hermione had Jelly Slugs in her hand and passed them over to Theodore with a smile. He happily accepted and joined the feast of confectionery with his newest wizard and witch friend.

* * *

 

"I can't find him!"

"Look again!"

Neville was panicking. He had just lost his pet toad, Trevor, and could not see him anywhere. Neither Hermione or Theodore had seen the creature anywhere and would've left earlier if they were aware about it.

"This is the second time this week! Grandma is going to do a number on me, I know it!"

"Calm down, Neville, and we will find you your toad!" Hermione sternly stated. Neville nodded obediently. "Now, you boys check inside here. I'll go see if Trevor is in any of the other compartments." Hermione walked out the door and to the left without hearing any objections that the boys had. Not that they had any. They looked above and below for the toad but couldn't see him.

Theodore was tired of searching hopelessly for Trevor and sat back down. "Neville, we might as well wait until the train stops at Hogwarts. Maybe he'll appear then."

Neville was instantly disheartened. "But… he… all right." He sat down in the opposite seat and slumped like he was defeated. This was the reason why Theodore did not get a pet. It would only cause nothing but trouble.

They continued to lay about until the door slid open once more. Hermione came in looking excited. "Did you know that Harry Potter is on the train? And sorry Neville, Trevor didn't turn up anywhere." He just couldn't catch a break. "I've spoken to the driver and he said that we're almost there, so I would suggest you'd put your uniforms on soon."

"Why did you wear your uniform anyways?" Neville asked.

"So that nobody would see me change. Now get a move on!"

The boys looked up at the shelves above them and recognised their own bags. How they found their way inside would remain unanswered. It took them a few minutes to change (obviously somewhere away from Hermione) into their uniforms. Theodore was busy finding a place to tuck his wand in while Hermione helped Neville to fix his tie. The uniform was so much better than his old one, which had several holes and stains. The trio chatted some more about which House was the best until the train began to slow down steadily. The evening had rolled through as the sky had darkened to a beautiful shade of a rich purple. The train had finally stopped, and Neville and Hermione walked out of the compartment door along with the other excitable children.

"Where are you going, your stuff are still…" Theodore looked up to see vacant shelves. He facepalmed at his foolishness and ran after the two to catch up. As they walked along the platform adjacent to the train, Theodore was surrounded by other students who huddled all together. He wanted to spread his arms to create more space for himself, but it would be no use; there were too many of them.

He carried on walking with the crowd till he found himself unable to move any further. A towering hairy man with a rough coat that looked like a deer was slung over him, barricaded everyone to force them to stop. "'Ello everybody! Welcome to 'Ogwarts! My name is Rubeus Hagrid, an' I'm the gamekeeper o' the castle, so yeh migh' see me all over the place."

Theodore looked over to the blonde boy he saw from before snickering and pointing at Hagrid. Two bigger boys, who were quite monstrous, copied like monkeys.

"Now, since yeh're all firs' years, we're gonna take the boats across the lake, so find yerselves in groups o' three and come along!"

Theodore tiptoed above the crowd to see if Hermione and Neville were anywhere to be found, but he had no luck. He didn't want to seem insistent on being with them all the time; so he instead found somebody else. He sat on one boat and noticed that it didn't have any oars or anything to propel it forward. The boat shook a bit as the same blond boy sat behind him, followed by one of his burly friends. The other looked angry that he was left behind, but went to find another boat to join.

Theodore saw Hagrid scrambling onto a larger boat which was in front of everybody else's. Once everybody had gotten on, the fleet of the wooden boats moved forward without any apparent source of power. Theodore sat silently in front of the boat, gazing upon the gargantuan castle that was lit up at variant places by torches and the moon above. It was a splendid sight. Truly splendid.

"Hey." Theodore turned around. The blonde boy had his hand stuck out to him. "I've seen you before. The name's Draco Malfoy. This one here is Crabbe."

Theodore shook the hand without hesitation. "My name is Theodore Riddle."

"Riddle? Haven't heard that name before. You a Muggle-born?"

Theodore heard some disdain in Draco's voice when he said Muggle-born. "Half-blood, actually."

"Hmph. Suppose that's better. With a name like that, I thought you were a Mudblood."

Crabbe cackled, earning some turning heads.

"What's a... Mudblood?" Theodore probably had an idea as to what it meant.

"Muggle-borns. They're not really magic. They're just some Muggles who managed to get lucky. Personally, it's insulting that I have to go school with them. My father was going to send me somewhere else where Mudbloods aren't allowed, but my mother said no."

Theodore twitched. Was he suggesting that they were superior to Muggles and Muggle-borns alike? He couldn't see himself above Louise or Hermione. This boy seemed like bad news.

He turned away from Draco and looked over the black horizon. He really didn't want to carry on the conversation. Not that he needed to. Draco was scolding Crabbe about something, finally leaving Theodore alone.

_'Thank God.'_

The boats pulled up to a dock of some sorts, and the masses of children clumped together once again. They all followed Hagrid to the massive arched doors that would lead into the castle. They walked through it and entered the front hall which seemed too big for Theodore to comprehend. The nonexistent ceiling; the grand torches that burned brightly on the walls, all of it made the place look like a palace.

The main stairway was polished marble and ascended to the higher floors of the castle. Theodore traced it from the bottom step and upwards till he saw somebody. An older witch dressed in emerald green, and a face that seemed to not allow any type of tolerance walked down the steps gracefully. She had a pointed hat that was tilted to the side, and her greyish-black hair was tied into a bun.

"Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! I am Professor McGonagall, the Deputy Headmistress and Transfiguration teacher. You will be shortly sorted into your Houses that will remain throughout your time at Hogwarts. Please remain quiet and follow me to the Great Hall." McGonagall spun on her heels and walked forward, prompting everyone else to follow her in an orderly fashion.

The Great Hall was in itself, self explanatory. Wide and high with torches on the sides, and levitating candles that nearly touched the ceiling. The ceiling itself looked like it was enchanted to look like the starry night, dotted with small white flashes. The first years walked along the Hall beside the extensive tables to which the older students occupied. Everyone was silent. Only the pounding of feet hitting the stone floor could be heard.

Theodore lifted his head above to see what was in front of them and saw the table of teachers with Dumbledore right in the middle. He was now wearing a long purple robe similar to McGonagall's and a purple pointed hat to match. Even the other teachers were dressed like that.

McGonagall stepped up to a lifted platform and held out her hand to stop everyone from invading the front area. As she talked about the typical introductory process, Theodore craned his head around to look for a familiar face. He couldn't see Neville, but a bush of brown hair could be seen in front of him. He tapped the shoulder and Hermione swivelled around. She gave him a smile before turning back to McGonagall. In front of Hermione was a redhead boy and another with messy black hair. They were whispering about something to do with the redhead's family.

"And now, we proceed with the Sorting! When I call out your name, you sit here and put on the Hat. Abbot, Hannah!"

A girl from the side walked around the crowd and stood up upon the stage. She then sat down on a wooden stool and was placed an old tattered hat on her head. Theodore could've sworn that he saw it move on its own…

A few seconds passed and suddenly the hat cried "Hufflepuff!", and the table on the middle-right erupted in a cheer. Hannah skipped over as her uniform and tie suddenly gained some yellow and black patterns.

"Bones, Susan!"

"Hufflepuff!" Susan accompanied Hannah as her uniform did the same thing. McGonagall waited for the cheers to die down before calling another.

"Boot, Terry!"

"Ravenclaw!" He walked to the table on the middle-left while being congratulated by others.

Mandy Brocklehurst went to Ravenclaw; Lavender Brown went to Gryffindor, and Millicent Bulstrode was the first Slytherin. Theodore glanced over to the lot as he saw their faces. Sharp, dark-haired and pale skin. If he didn't know any better then he would think that that was his destined house.

More of them passed until Hermione was called up. She was obviously excited as she nearly galloped over. She stuck the hat on her mane quite brashly and was sorted into Gryffindor. Underneath the wild applause, he could hear the redheaded boy groan. What was his problem? Theodore was not interested by the others until he heard Neville's name.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" Neville tripped on his way to the stool but regained his balance. He plopped himself on the chair and placed the hat on his head. It had taken a while for the hat to decide as Neville winced at the outcome.

"…Gryffindor!"

The Gryffindor table clapped and chuckled as Neville ran towards them with the hat. Theodore smirked at his absent-mindedness. He really didn't care which House he was placed in as long as it wasn't Hufflepuff… or Ravenclaw. Okay, he really did care. They did not suit him in the slightest. Even Gryffindor seemed far-fetched. At Slytherin, maybe he'd feel like home. He once skimmed over the fact that the Founder of Slytherin House, Salazar Slytherin, could speak to snakes as well. It couldn't be a coincidence if he was sorted there.

"Malfoy, Draco!" Draco strutted to the seat and was instantly sorted into Slytherin the second the hat touched his head. He smugly walked over to the table with his friends patting him on the back. No name of interest came by until the one he had heard for so long.

"Potter, Harry!" Everyone turned their heads. Silence was imminent. Nobody moved except the spectacled black-haired boy.

_'So that's Harry Potter? Looks normal to me.'_

Harry looked nervous but was trying not to show it. He slowly lowered himself on the stool and the hat was placed on his head. His eyes were shut as he was contemplating about something. Something that he didn't want to happen. Theodore could almost see that perfectly. The hat moved some more until it bellowed its final decision.

…

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The table exploded with noise as everyone there cheered as loudly as they could. Harry was given a standing ovation as he awkwardly took off the hat and walked over to the table. The redheaded twins chanted as they slapped him on the back. Harry really was famous, no doubt about that.

The applause carried on for some time until it died down. Theodore's stomach was turning. He was starting to feel sick. Could they not just give them a letter to tell them which House they were in instead?

The surnames of 'Q' were all finished, and McGonagall looked down the scroll in her hands. "Riddle, Theodore!"

Dumbledore leaned in as did another teacher clad in black. Theodore swallowed and slowly walked to the stool. Everyone traced his every movement from his feet to his twisted fingers. He reached the stool and sat down gently while McGonagall placed the hat on his head. It was too wide and covered most of his vision, leaving him to see almost nothing. But the hat was quick in its decision and shouted the House that Theodore would be placed in for the whole of his time at Hogwarts.

"Slyth-!"

The Slytherin table started to applaud loudly but stopped when they realised that the hat hesitated. McGonagall was shocked to see this happen. The teachers behind him whispered and hissed with each other while the students were drowned in confusion. Theodore was confused as well.

"Sly…! _Slythe…!_ "

_'Why won't you choose, dammit?! Just say Slytherin!'_

_It's not that easy, child._

Theodore's heart thudded. The hat just spoke to him. In his mind. _'W-Why is it not that easy?'_

_I see the very traits of Salazar Slytherin himself within. I can see that clearly, but… there is something underneath. Something… odd. Something that the founder lacked._

Theodore lifted the hat slightly to see everyone else. He wished he hadn't. He glanced over to the Gryffindor table and saw Hermione. Her face had anxiety all over it. If one could look closely, her fingers were crossed tightly.

_I've never seen something like you. You're too… different from the others. From 'him'. You won't fit in there. As much cunning and ambition that you possess… Yes. You'd better be in —_

"Gryffindor!"

Whistles and claps were made from Gryffindor as Theodore took the hat off rather disappointedly. What in fresh hell was the hat talking about; he absolutely deserved to be in Slytherin! It was a mistake, it had to be! He looked down on his jumper to see scarlet and golden patterns appear with his tie turning into a striped design of the same colours. He handed the hat back to McGonagall and walked over to his table. The Slytherins peered over to him, clearly interested as to why this boy was denied entry for Slytherin.

Theodore sat down next to Harry and was opposite Hermione who was joyful to see him there. "For a second there, I thought you were going to Slytherin! Guess the hat made the right decision in the nick of time, huh?"

He gave her a half-arsed smile and turned to the remaining students. The redheaded boy, who was called Ronald Weasley, was sorted into Gryffindor and sat among them with his older brothers. They all seemed glad that he was there. The rest of the students were sorted into their Houses and the hat was taken away.

Dumbledore stood up with a large smile across his face. He seemed to enjoy this ceremony very much. "Welcome," he announced. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words."

Theodore widened his eyes as the old man babbled absolute nonsense.

"Thank you!"

"He's the Headmaster of the school, but he doesn’t act like it. How was he even considered?"

"Oh, stop complaining, Theodore. Have some sausage," Hermione replied.

"Sausage? What sausage?" He looked down. Plates of food were stretched all across the table. Plates of roasted chicken, beef and potatoes, bacon, sweetcorn, sausages and pork chops, mashed potatoes, boiled potatoes, sliced potatoes with gravy on the side, carrots, peas, Yorkshire pudding and a bowl of mint humbugs that were left untouched in the middle.

Theodore didn't question how the food appeared and started at the sweetcorn. He piled his plate up with food as did Harry and Ron. The three boys ate like starved wolves. Theodore didn't say anything until Ron spoke up, with a mouthful of food.

"'Eodore, is it? 'Ow do you do, I'm Ron."

Theodore swallowed before responding. "Hi," he said in a monotone.

"'At was qui' the sow over there en the Sortin' 'At paused-"

Hermione elbowed him. "Don't you have any manners? Close your mouth when you eat." Ron shrugged and carried on eating.

"The Sorting Hat was probably bewitched to sort me into Gryffindor," Theodore said coldly.

"Don't say that, I'm sure it knew what it was doing. It's usually never wrong."

"Yeah! I mean, look! My whole family was in Gryffindor, so it would make sense as to why you're here."

"As far as I know, none of my parents were in Gryffindor."

"Who were your parents?"

Hermione elbowed Ron again, this time much harder.

Theodore picked at his food. Any mention of his parents and he'd suddenly go silent. He wasn't like that in the orphanage. He didn't really want to know about them yet now that he knew their names, he craved for more. Tom Riddle and Valerie Potter… Potter. He turned his head to Harry. Harry was talking to one of Ron's brothers. Theodore thought stupidly of himself as he didn't make the connection before. His mother's surname and Harry's were the same! That meant that they were connected somehow! Suddenly, being in Gryffindor almost didn't seem that bad. Almost.

"So, you're the famous Harry Potter?"

Harry turned his head and scratched his unkept hair. "I guess so. You're Theodore, right? I'm Harry, but you already knew that," Harry said shyly as he rubbed his elbow.

"I heard that you lived with Muggles for your entire life."

"Yeah," replied Harry in an almost sullen tone.

"Same here. I didn't know about any of this until a few months ago."

"I didn't know a thing until my birthday. Hagrid came to me when I was away with my family."

"Better late than never. I couldn't wait to leave for Hogwarts. I hated it over there." This wasn't the whole truth however.

Harry leaned in to whisper something in his ear. "You think you've got it bad? My bedroom is inside a cupboard underneath the staircase!"

"Okay, you have me beat. But nothing compares to the food at my orphanage. We'd have pea soup every Saturday night, and it was horrible!"

"Oh. You're an orphan too…"

Theodore shrugged and went back to his food. His objective was already in motion. Befriending Harry would allow him to find out more about his parentage on his mother's side, and just what the Sorting Hat meant when it said that he wouldn't fit into Slytherin. He carried on eating as the ghosts floated around the hall, conversing with the children. One particular ghost called Nearly-Headless Nick was Gryffindor's respective one who rambled on about how the executioner did not do a great job at cutting his head off. The sight of it was gruesome enough to almost put Theodore and Hermione off their food. Nevertheless, the children still held their conversations strong and talked about their various backgrounds and magical mishaps. Neville's was quite amusing.

The food was replaced by the desserts and they tucked into them as well. Theodore was enjoying a scrumptious strawberry tart when he heard Harry slap his forehead and grunt in pain.

"Are you all right, Harry?" Ron's older brother, Percy asked. Harry nodded and the two carried on talking.

The desserts vanished and Dumbledore gave some first-term notices, most which seemed like severe warnings, and excused them all to bed. Percy waved at the first-years to follow him and guided them outside the Great Hall. Full could not describe how Theodore felt. He was scared that he would fall over and pass out on the cold floor at any second. He, along with the other first-years, approached a staircase and hurried up on it, eager to go to bed. They passed the moving paintings on the walls, the poltergeist Peeves who was threatened by Percy, and reached a painting of a fat woman dressed eloquently.

"Password," she asked in a posh manner.

_"Caput Draconis."_

The painting swung open. A hole in the wall led to the Gryffindor common room, which was warm and soothing. The heat from the burning fire made the children even more tired. They were led to their dorms with the boys on the left and the girls on the right. A spiral staircase connected the main room with the dorms as all the boys found their beds. Theodore's was in between Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, the other two boys in the dorm.

Theodore then changed into his pyjamas and flopped into his large four-poster bed, sinking inside its plushness. He didn't bother to go under the sheets; this bed was far more comfortable than the one at home. He half-expected somebody to prod his face or pull his feet, but no such thing happened. He momentarily opened his eyes as the realisation of Louise being miles and miles away had hit him. And in a long, long time, Theodore was restless and could not sleep at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some stuff were skipped over due to how dragging it felt for me and I did another long chapter so yay me. Also a little heads up for the upcoming chapters: Theodore is going to gain a lot of connections with other people, not necessarily relationships. Just keep watch :)
> 
> PS: Some chapters will be shortened, chopped and fused with others to save time. I'm not planning on making an entire book series that's parallel to the original, just the major events. But it'll be long enough, don't worry.


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